Rama wants ECQ extended in city

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama is in favor of extending the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) status in the city after July 15.

Rama said that he does not recommend downgrading the status to a more relaxed general community quarantine (GCQ) as the city is still grappling with the discrepancies in COVID-19 data and the delays in contact tracing.

“I will not recommend for GCQ. We are not yet ready,” he said.

Cebu City remains under ECQ until July 15.

It was first placed under ECQ from March 28 to April 28 and was extended until May 31. It was downgraded to GCQ from June 1 to June 15 before it was placed back to ECQ on June 15 due to the ballooning COVID cases.

Rama said the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management on Emerging Infectious Diseases also advised the city officials to address first the differing coronavirus data.

He said having to downgrade the status and not focusing on where the virus is concentrated will not turn out good.

“Mao na kinahangaln you have to put all (measures) in place. Kapoy kaayo ng i-downgrade ka pag human balik na sab (to ECQ). May pa nang convinced gyud ta na we are practically already ready,” said Rama.

With the increasing cases, Rama said, there should be more laboratory testing centers in the city.

“If we look at this (COVID data), we really need more laboratory testing centers dili lang kay Department of Health and city health,” said Rama.

KQD (FREEMAN)